THE POWER OF WOMEN

While male dominence was upper most and women were treated as second class citizens during last century by society, the scenario is slowly changing in the current decade giving equality to them in all areas.

It is rather surprising how they were powerful during puranic age and pandyan rulers of south india . Stories that follow of Gandhari curse and Kannagi of southern India proves that.

CURSE OF GANDHARI TO LORD KRISHNA

Gandhar- i confronted Krishna and said, "You are the cause of death of my sons.

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You could have prevented the war but you did not. As a result the Kurus have been almost wiped out. I curse you that you shall die the death of an animal, your clan of Vrishni will perish in an internal strife. The cousins will fight and kill each other." The grief seeing all her son's dead had overwhelmed Gandhari. Draupadi's sons dead. She could not find the words to console the women lamenting at the loss of their sons and Krishna happened to come in the battlefield, where Gandhari was sitting with all other woman and trying to console her.

Krishna gave his gentlest smile and said, "Mother you have relieved me of a burden. My clan cannot be destroyed by anyone in the world except by themselves. You have solved my problem. As to my death it is so ordained. I accept your curse by way of your blessings." Now Gandhari anger was abated fully. She became full of love for the Pandavas.

KANNAGI OF SOUTHERN INDIA

Kovalan, the son of a wealthy merchant in Kaveripattinam, married Kannagi, a young woman of legendary beauty. They lived together happily in the city of Kaveripattinam, until Kovalan met the dancer Madhavi and fell in love with her. In his infatuation he forgot Kannagi and gradually spent all his wealth on the dancer. At last, penniless, Kovalan realised his mistake, and returned to Kannagi. Their only asset was a precious pair of anklets filled with gems, which she gave to him willingly. With these as their capital they went to the great city of Madurai, where Kovalan hoped to recoup his fortunes by trade.

The city of Madurai was ruled by the Pandya king Kovalan's objective was to sell the anklets in this kingdom so that he and his wife would be able to start their lives over. Unfortunately, around the time he set out to sell the anklets, one anklet (out of a pair) was stolen from the queen, by a greedy court member. This anklet looked very similar to Kannagi's. The only difference was that Kannagi's were filled with rubies and the queen's filled with pearls, but this was not a visible fact. When Kovalan went to the market, he was accused of having stolen the anklet. He was immediately beheaded by the King's guards, without trial. When Kannagi was informed of this, she became furious, and set out to prove her husband's innocence to the king.

Kannagi came to the king's court, broke open the anklet seized from Kovalan and showed that it contained rubies, as opposed to the queen's anklets which contained pearls. Realizing their fault, the King and the Queen died of shame. Unsatisfied, Kannagi tore out a breast and flung it on the city, uttering a curse that the entire city be burnt The city was set ablaze resulting in huge human and economic losses. However, after the request from the Goddess of the city, she withdrew her curse and later, attained salvation.